Gamification in foreign language teaching at higher schools

Abstract

The article discusses the principal ways of introducing gamification into the foreign language teaching and learning process at higher schools. The analysis of gamification is done from the point of view of its use in foreign language courses. Different learning activities that can be considered as forms of gamification are analyzed, and fields of its application in both linguistic and non-linguistic higher schools are discussed. The forms of gamification that can be used in foreign language teaching include language games, dramatizations, social contacts, role plays, simulations, brainstorming, case-studies, discussions and presentations, projects, and continuous simulations. Those forms of gamification are divided into those that can be regularly used in the teaching and learning process, but do not embrace it in its entirety (language games, dramatizations, social contacts, role plays, simulations, brain-storming, case-studies, discussions, presentations) and those that transform the entire or the substantial part of the teaching and learning process into continuous gaming activities (projects and continuous simulations). The distinction is made between the forms of gamification that can be used both at linguistic at non-linguistic higher schools and those that are applicable for teaching either at linguistic or at non-linguistic higher schools only. The article demonstrates that gamification used in foreign language teaching fully meets all requirements to gamification when teaching other subjects at higher educational institutions. It is also fully adaptable to computerization and introduction of information technologies into the gamified foreign language teaching and learning process. Finally, the relationship between gamification and experiential learning in foreign language teaching is analyzed, and it is shown that gamification and experiential learning are synonymous notions that can be used interchangeably. The results of the study prove that in the field of gamification, foreign language teaching is totally in line with the most recent advances of general pedagogy.